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('NModel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. W. ROOD.

BICYCLE 'IL'.XBIT.

No. 553,690. Patented Jan. 28.1896.

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Patented Jan. 28, 1896.

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M. PHC'TULIIHD. WASM N GTUN D C NTTED STATES Y PATENT Finca.

IIARRIET IV. ROOD, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

BICYCLE-HABIT.

SPECIFICATION-forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,690, dated January 28, 1896.

Application iiled June 5, 1895.

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, IIARRIET IV. ROOD, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bifurcated Skirts, of which the following is a specication.

The object of my invention is to provide a garment which shall have the general appearance of a skirt while possessing all its advantages, this skirt being particularly adapted for use on bicycles, although it may be used in other relations.

The invention consists in the construction hereinafter described, which embodies a combined outer skirt and inner trousers, the skirt having a front portion extending entirely across the skirt and around to the back, where it is divided, the edges of the divided parts being connected with suitable breadths of material, which are severally joined to the front portion of the skirt, thereby substantially forming trousers-legs.

The skirt at the waist is divided over the hips to form vertical separations or plackets, the waist of the skirt at the front and back of the plackets forming flaps separable from each other.

The front portion of the skirtor flap has a suitable band, from which extends a belt which passes around a persons Waist and is joined at the back. The back portion of the garment or rear flap at the top also has'a band which is connected with a belt which passesaround a persons waist and is joined at the front. These two bands are also arranged to be joined together at the plackets to unite the front and rear flaps. By this means the front and rear flaps of the garment can be independently supported around a persons waist, while at the same time said two portions of the garment can be joined together around the body. At the bands of front and rear iiaps I also attach a pair of trourers-legs or drawers, which extend down int-o the rstmentioned legs of the skirt, provision being made to fasten these trousers-legs at or near the knees, the waist of the trousers having side plackets registering with the plackets in the skirt, which forms front and rear iiaps as a part of those of the skirt. By this means a persons thighs will be doubly protected by the inner and outer trousers-legs, inadvertent raising of the skirt prevented, while said outer legs have all the appearance of a completed skirt, at the same time allowing the rear flap to bedetached and let down.

The invention further consist-s in the novel details of improvement and the combinations of parts that will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, wherein- Figure l is a front view, in perspective, of the skirt or garment, the front being opened to display the leg portions and a leg portion separated from the skirt front to display the trousersdeg. Fig. 2 is a bottom view thereof in perspective. Fig. 3 is a front view showing the arrangement of the waistbands and belts with the front flap lowered and the rear belt secured. Fig. 4 is a like view of the rear of thegarment with the rear flap lowered. Fig.

5 isa vertical central section of the garmentl extending from hip to hip, showing the bifurcation at the rear and the inner trousers depending from and supported by the bands of the aps. Fig. 6 is a vertical central section of the garment extending from the front to the rear, showing the bifurcation at the back and the inner trousers depending from the flap-band.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views, the kletter A indicates the main portion of the skirt or garmentwhich extends entirely across the front, around the sides, and is divided vertically at the back, from the bot-tom of the skirt tothe seat, as at B.

The skirt or garment is divided at the waist and on the sides over the hips, as at a', Figs. '3 and Ll, by plackets, forming two independent upper halves or flaps, each half or flap being independently supported on the wearer by separate bands or belts, so that either the front or back flap can be let down like a pair of boys pants, and either portion remain secured to the wearer to support the body of the skirt thereon.

Any suitable number of breadths of material, properly cut and stitched, can be used to form the main, portion A ofthe garment to give the requisite fullness and' skirt-like appearance, or it can be made of one piece, as shown.

The vertical edges c c of the divided portion B of the skirt are turned in and carried forward and stitched to the front A of the skirt, so as to form trousers-like legs C C, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

The legs C C are joined together centrally at c, as by stitching, to form a crotch similar to the joining of the legs of trousers at that part.

By the above-described arrangement the front and sides of the garment appear like a complete skirt, while the back, up to the seat portion A, Fig. G, is bifurcated to permit freedom of movement of the limbs, while the latter are fully surrounded by the parts A and C C.

NVhere suitable fullness of material is provided at the back, the junction of the parts .A C at A will drape together and also appear like a complete skirt when the weareris standing or walking, but when sitting on a bicycleseat the sides and back of the garment will be free like a pair of trousers.

The front flap A2 of the skirt is connected at the top with a band D, which extends around to the sides or hips, the skirt being sewed to said band or forming part thereof. The ends d d of the band D are extended to form a belt, so that they can pass around a persons waist and be joined at the back by hooks and eyes, a buckle, button, or other desired holding means, a button d and buttonhole d? being provided for this purpose, as shown in Figs. 3 and i. By this means the front portion of the garment is independently supported on a person, the belt or band D then encircling the waist, as shown in Fig. 4, and within the rea-r iiap. The rear flap AS of the skirt is likewise provided with a similar band E, which has an exterior belt c secured thereto, which will extend around a persons waist to the front, and provided with suitable fastening devices at the ends c', such as a hook and eye, as shown, whereby the back portion of the skirt is also independently supported upon the body, the belt e being preferably wider than the bands D E, so as tov cover both when the former is secured about the waist, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. Li, and shown in Fig. l. The bands D and E, at their meeting points, are also provided with hooks and eyes, buttons, or other fastening devices, as at e2 @3, Fig. i, whereby the two bands can be joined together for greater security.

As both iiaps A A2 are either a part of or are secured to -the body of the skirt, the se-Y curement of one of the flaps about the waist of the wearer will support the body of the skirt, allowing either ap, preferably the rear, to be dropped.

For greater protection to the limbs, I provide a pair of trousers or drawers F, the upper edges f of which are attached to or within the bands D and E, the legs P P of which extend down into the skirt-legs C C, as shown in Figs. l, 2, 5, and (i.

The trousers or drawers are divided at the hips and can be sewed to the bands or attached by buttons or other devices, so that they can be readily detached if desired.

The trousers are separated at the hips by plackets fj" registering with the skirt-plackets ce? a2, and the halves or ilaps F2 F3 thus formed are secured at their upper edges to the front and back iiaps A2 A3, respectively, of the outer skirt. The rear of the trousers can be let down simultaneously with the rear of the skirt, or vice versa, while if the rear iiapis let down the skirt and trousers are retained in place on the body of the wearer by the belt D secured to the front iiap, the belt e on the rear portion when secured around the waist covering the top of the rear portion.

The trousers F may be secured about the limbs at or near the knees by a running string or otherwise as well known, and by prefer ence are provided with one or more elastic tapes or strings g g, which may be detachably connected with the skirt A by buttons h or otherwise to keep the skirt from iiying up as a person rides. When a person is not riding, the tapes or strings g g may be detached from the buttons 7L and attached to the trousers-legs F to keep said tapes from hanging down.

The edges of the flap A3 overlap the adjacent edges of the flap A2, as at 1', Fig. 4f, and buttons and holes j 7a on the respective iiaps providin g means for closing the plackets. For ornamentation a strip Z is secured to the flap A3, in which the holes k are formed.

A garment or skirt constructed as above set forth will be found very useful and convenient, as well as modest, because it has the appearance at all times of a full skirt, while possessing the advantages of trousers in allowing freedom of use and movement to the limbs in riding or other exercise, while at the same time fully encircling each limb.

Having now described my invention, what I claim isl. A skirt having side plackets for a portion of its length to form front and rear flaps, combined with inner trousers having side plackets forming front and rear iiaps, the plackets in the trousers registering with those of the skirt, each of the contiguous front and rear aps of the skirt and trousers being secured together at their upper edge independently of the others, and means for independently securing either flap about the waist of the wearer, substantially as described.

2. In a skirt, the combination with an outer skirt and inner trousers, both the skirt and trousers having side plackets for a portion of their length which form front and rear aps, each of the contiguous front and rear flaps being secured together independently of the others, the front iiap being provided with a belt to pass around the body within the rear flap, the rear flap having a band, and means for securing the band to the front flap, and

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band on the rear flap and means for securing the ends of the band to the front flap, and a supplemental belt secured to the rear iiap over the band and adapted to be secured over the front flap, substantially as described.

Signed at the city, county, and State of New York this 4th day of June, 1895.

HARRIET W. ROOD. Vitnesses:

JOSEPH L. LEVY, WILLIAM JAooBsEN. 

